The Mushroom Kingdom: Darkness Rising
by The Super-Powered
Summary: Five years after the death of Mario, Bowser's inevitable defeat/death, and Luigi's abrupt disappearance, Finn, a blacksmith from the town of Guavia, must embark on a journey across the Mushroom Kingdom and Donkey Kong Island to uncover his destiny and discover the secret to defeating a seemingly unstoppable force of evil. Note: Bloody violence and sexual references included.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Luigi stood amongst the bloody field of corpses. The corpses ranged from Koopas, Goombas, Toads, and Yoshisaurs. He took a step and began to walk slowly through the lines of bodies that had consumed the land around him. Further and further he wandered through the field until he looked upon a hill ahead of him. Atop the hill fought Mario and Bowser, archenemies. Mario had consumed a Fire Flower when the battle started and had begun to shoot fire at his nemesis. Bowser tried his best to block the advances, but eventually he fell to the ground. He was playing Mario, making him think he was beaten. Around them, the earth began to break apart, and a crevice opened in the earth, into which, Bowser fell. Mario, triumphant, turned to face the field of bodies. He spotted Luigi in the midst of the corpses and waved to him proudly with a large smile on his face. Before he could celebrate, however, a large yellow hand grabbed him from behind. Bowser had climbed back from the depths of the earth and held Mario up into the sky.

What little soldiers that were left looked up at the dragon holding the red plumber. Bowser snarled violently and, placing his left hand around Mario's head, tore his head from his body. He threw the remains down into the field right at Luigi's feet. Luigi stared down at his brother's body, trying to come to terms with what had just happened. He was shocked, terrified, sad, and angry all at once. Yoshi and Toad slowly made their way over to him and they bowed their heads at the sight of their friend. Bowser stared down at them and smiled deviously. Luigi turned his head toward Bowser and, from the top of the hill, Bowser could see a fire light in his eyes. He took up a dead Toad's sword, jumped onto Yoshi's back, and ordered him to charge at the dragon.

At high speed, Yoshi ran toward the hulking beast towering on the hill. Luigi, close to reaching the top, jumped from Yoshi's back, spun the sword in air, and launched it at Bowser who caught the sword and threw it back. The sword grazed Luigi's arm slightly and he fell to the ground, landing hard, seemingly killing him. Bowser slowly stepped over to him and quietly laughed proudly.

"Finally, after all these years, I have won. I have destroyed the Mario brothers and finally have the freedom to destroy the Mushroom Kingdom and rule over all. How does it feel to lose, plumber? How does it feel to know that I have won? How does it feel to know I killed your brother?"

Luigi coughed, spitting up a bit of blood in the process. "You've failed, Bowser. The Mushroom Kingdom will be safer now…and forever…Yoshi!"

Bowser turned quickly and was met with a flurry of rocks to the face from Yoshi, who had stored a plethora of rocks in his cheeks. Bowser, from the weight, was knocked back and he landed right beside the crevice, but just as he began to gain his balance again, Luigi stabbed the sword into his knee and pushed him into the crevice, this time for good.

Luigi turned to Yoshi and nodded in thanks. The two of them slowly made their way to where Mario's body laid on the ground next to Toad, who was kneeling beside him. Luigi sighed as he lifted his brother's body up and placed him upon Yoshi's back. The three of them turned back and began their long walk back to the Mushroom Castle.

Upon arrival, Peach stood outside the gates with princesses Daisy and Rosalina, her steward Toadsworth, and her newly appointed captain of the guard and his friend, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong. They stared off into the horizon as Luigi, Toad and Yoshi came slowly into view. The three heroes slowly approached the castle and upon reaching the gates, Luigi fell to the ground and grabbed his wounded arm. Yoshi carefully placed Mario's body onto the ground and sat next to the corpse, occasionally nudging his head against Mario.

Peach stared down at Mario's headless body and she burst into tears as her emotions took over. Toadsworth wrapped a cloth around Luigi's arm and tried to comfort the man in his sorrow. Donkey Kong looked up into the sky and a blinding light shone through the dark black clouds. The sun was coming out.

Rosalina sighed. "The sun. The day is won. Bowser has been defeated, but at a greater cost than we could have imagined."

Peach frowned. "Mario knew the cost would be high to defeat Bowser…he always knew…"

Luigi nodded. "My brother will forever be remembered as the Kingdom's greatest protector. I may have killed Bowser, but Mario is the reason we stopped him. His sacrifice was not in vain," Luigi sighed and closed his eyes tightly. "Mario, wherever you are…thank you."

Daisy and Diddy looked at each other and then the group. Toad hugged Peach tightly and whispered to her, "I'm sorry. I know you sent me to watch after him…can you forgive me for my failure?"

Peach smiled through her tears and nodded. "It isn't your fault Mario is gone…don't blame yourself, my little friend."

Luigi helped Toad and Toadsworth dig a grave for his brother in the early hours of the next morning. The three of them lowered his body into the grave and covered it up slowly. Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Peach, Rosalina, Daisy, Yoshi, and many others appeared at the funeral for the hero they just lost. Over the next few weeks, a statue of Mario was erected above the grave of him, holding a sword and a fireball. Luigi spent every single day after this by the grave. He didn't eat. He didn't sleep. He stayed there every single day. Until one day…he completely disappeared.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Five years later, the Mushroom Kingdom was back to normal, with its inhabitants going back to their normal lives. New towns were erected that housed all manners of creatures, including humans. One human in particular by the name of Finn lived in the town of Guavia, an all human village, along with his brother Zuvio. The two of them had lived alone together since they had become adults. Zuvio worked as a clerk at the local bank, while Finn worked from their home as a blacksmith. He stood at a striking six foot seven, his hair was hazel brown, his eyes were blue like the sky and his skin was tanned due to his constant work in the sun.

Finn stood by the tanning rack with a few pieces of leather and he tossed them onto his workbench and sat down in his handcrafted chair that sat in the sun. He took a cloth from his belt and rubbed his sweat-covered face slowly. As he sat, he took deep breaths and took occasional drinks of water. He looked across the street at the young maid working in the neighbor's garden. She was planting seeds from exotic flowers and covering them with dirt swiftly, then moving on to the next one without a second thought. She stood and turned to face him and she smiled.

Her eyes were a shiny emerald green. Her bright blonde hair flowed gracefully down her back and over her shoulders. She wore a red and white skirt that cut off at her mid-thigh area. Her skin was a bit paler than Finn's, but it looked beautiful in the sunlight. She stood at five foot nine and a half. She had a curvy figure that Finn found attractive, but he continuously stared into her eyes from his seat across the road. Her emerald green eyes always cast a spell on him that was near impossible to break. They had known each other since they were children, and they both knew they loved each other. Her name was Piper.

Finn stood and began to walk toward her, but he was suddenly met by his brother's voice shouting "Finn, Finn!"

He spun around quickly to face his fear-stricken brother who was sprinting down the main street of the village. He toppled over at the last second and rolled up to Finn's feet.

Finn knelt beside him and shook his head. "What's wrong, Zuvio?"

Zuvio quickly stood and pointed down the street. "It's _them_ again."

Finn stared down the road, unable to see what his brother was so frantic about. Then, it hit him. He saw purple and yellow clad men marching in two lines down the road, one line holding crossbows, the other holding torches. He turned to Piper and motioned for her to come across the road. She ran across quickly and looked to where Zuvio pointed.

"The Wario Gang…" she whispered with panic.

Finn grabbed his brother and Piper and pulled them into the house and locked the door quickly. He pulled back the curtains of a window slowly and he continued to watch the incoming gang members.

The lines began to break off and spread across the village, two men at each house, one from each line. Next, he saw the gang's leaders. Two men, one short, obese, and muscular, and the other a very tall and skinny man. The short one wore a yellow hat and shirt with purple overalls and green shoes. A light blue 'W' was on his hat. The tall one wore a dark purple hat and shirt and dark blue overalls with orange shoes. His hat had a bright yellow, upside down 'L' on it.

The two men walked side-by-side, both of them wearing crossbows on their back. The tall one carried a scroll in one hand and a pen in the other. The short man had a dagger strapped to his belt and a small pouch that was meant to carry coins.

The two stopped in the middle of the town and they unrolled the scroll. The short one took the scroll by the top and cleared his throat slowly and loudly.

"Dear people of Guavia, it is time for your monthly tax collection. As usual, you know the rules. 100 gold coins, or an item of value, or a servant of the home. And if you cannot provide any of these three, the consequences are…well, you already know."

One by one, the doors of the houses opened and the people dropped the exact coin amount or an item of value onto the porch of the house. The soldiers at each house took the payment and handed the tariff over to their employers. Finn opened the door quickly and tossed 100 gold in a small pouch onto the porch. The only house that didn't open its doors was the house across from Finn's.

The short man growled violently and marched up the steps and beat his hand against the door. "Where is your payment?!"

An old man filled with fear and cowardice opened the door slowly and stared down at the little man. "We don't have the coins, sir."

Wario frowned. "An item of value?"

The old man shook his head slowly and began to shake.

Wario began to clench his fists and he looked like he was about to attack the man. "Not even a servant?!"  
The old man fearfully pointed toward Finn's house and whispered, "The girl in that house. She is our servant."

Wario snapped his fingers together and the soldiers at Finn's door forced their way in, grabbed Piper by her arms, and began to drag her out of the house. She screamed in protest continuously before Finn finally snapped and threw himself out the door. He took a crossbow from a soldier's hands and he shot the two dragging Piper toward the cart filled with the taxes. Wario snarled and took out his dagger, charging at Finn quickly. Finn tossed the crossbow into the house and grabbed Wario's arm, twisting it until he heard a snap. Piper turned and ran back into Finn's house in fear.

The short man howled in pain and grabbed his arm, falling back onto the ground and screaming in pain. Two soldiers turned and kicked Finn into submission and they slung him onto his porch. They repeatedly beat him until Wario and Waluigi ordered them to stop. Wario picked up his dagger with his intact arm and he stared down at Finn.

"This is what happens to men who defy me." He raised the dagger into the air and brought it down with one swift stroke, and the only thing everyone in the town heard was a loud shout and the tearing of human meat.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Finn had closed his eyes before the blade had come down, but upon hearing the screams, he thought it was all over. But then he realized that the screams weren't his. He forced his eyes open and he looked over to his left where the bloody body of Zuvio lay lifeless. He gasped and sat up slowly, looking down at Wario kneeling in the street, mumbling to himself while Waluigi tried to calm him. Piper sat in the house shaking and clinging to the table. She had blood on her hands that was slowly dripping onto the oaken floor.

Wario's dagger was lying at the bottom of the steps with blood covering the entire blade. Chunks of meat were scattered across the steps and the ground in front of the house. The two men stood up and stared at the old man in the opposite house.

"Consider that boy's life your payment toward us," Wario said before turning to Finn and growling angrily. "We'll be watching you very closely."

He had fresh cuts in his right cheek that went from his chin to his bottom eye lid. The cuts were small and made quickly. Finn noticed Piper's fingernails were broken. She had clawed at Wario to get away from him as he tried to take her after he was finished killing Zuvio.

The brothers and their soldiers turned toward the north, marched to their cart, climbed into the front, and ordered the gang to move out. The purple clad soldiers marched off into the horizon with the sun rising ahead of them. Finn forced himself up off of the old wooden steps and he turned to stare down at his brother's limp and motionless body. His bright hazel eyes were cold and lifeless. There were large gashes in his chest that spurted blood every few minutes. Chunks of meat were scattered on the porch, steps, and the ground. The old man from across the street emerged from the house and slowly walked over to Finn. He placed his hand on his shoulder and Finn looked up slowly at him.

"Finn, I…I am so sorry for this…it's all my fault. I should have just accepted the terms and let them take me...I didn't mean to endanger anyone else."

Piper stepped out of the house and dried her eyes slowly. "No," she said through her tears, "it's my fault. I am your servant. Their laws state that I should have went with them. But after watching Zuvio die by that monster's hands…I couldn't go with them."

Finn shook with fear, turned to them both, and swallowed slowly. "I don't blame either of you…I knew what I was doing when I attacked the gang members to save Piper. I guess Zuvio knew what he was doing too…"

Suddenly, a loud scream was heard from the other side of the village. The three of them turned and ran toward where the screaming had come from. A little girl was lying down on the ground with her hands over her eyes. A large, hairy beast sat in front of her wearing a red tie. He wore silver armor with an insignia of a mushroom on it. He looked around the crowd now watching him and spotted Finn. The beast came over to him and snorted as he plopped onto the ground.

"I am General Kong. Princesses Peach, Daisy, and Rosalina wish to speak with you, Finn Kurtz."

Finn scratched his head. "What? Why?"

In an instant, an explosion was heard from a distance to the south and horribly mutated Koopas came charging toward the village.

"THAT is why." Donkey Kong stood on his hind legs and beat his chest in a warlike fashion before tossing Finn, Piper, and the old man onto his back. He ran full speed to the northeast of the village, where the Mushroom Castle could be seen from a distance.

As they bounced on the gorilla's back the entire way there, Finn constantly asked him, "What in the world was that?!"

Kong only snorted and said, "Answers will come. Have patience."

After running quickly through the center of Toad Town, the gates of the castle were opened slowly and Kong sprinted faster and faster until he entered the giant complex. He stopped in the center of the large ballroom and he let the three people off there. The Toads at the gates closed them quickly and barricaded them with large boulders from the outside. Coming down the stairs were the three princesses, Peach in her pink dress, Daisy in her orange dress, and Rosalina in her light blue dress.

Peach ran to the door where Toadsworth stood with a cane as he explained to her what the situation was. Daisy stepped over to Donkey Kong and spoke to him, then decided to fetch him a glass of water. Rosalina approached the group slowly and nodded her head at them.

She placed her hands on Finn's face and sighed. "I am terribly sorry for the quick and rather blunt communication of our need to bring you here. We needed to act quickly. Things aren't going so well for the Kingdom at the moment."

Toadsworth slowly bounded up to the old man and smiled. "Jericho, it is a pleasure to see you alive again, my old friend."

Jericho looked at Toadsworth and he hugged his Toad friend. "Toadsworth, I never thought I would make it back here after all this time."

Princess Peach walked over to the group and smiled. "Hello Finn. Piper, Jericho."

Piper nodded at Peach. "Nice to meet you, princess."

Jericho smiled. "I served under your father, as did Toadsworth here, milady. I am proud to be of whatever help I can be."

"That is good of you to offer, Jericho," A voice called from above them. "Believe me, we will need all the help we can get."

Above them all on the stairs, an old ape with a long white beard and a stick for a cane slowly walked down the stairs.

Peach smiled. "Hello, Cranky."

"We made a mistake. A horrible, horrible mistake."

Finn shook his head. "What do you mean?"

Cranky Kong groaned. "Didn't you read the Prologue? Upon the great hero Mario's death, Bowser was defeated by his brother, Luigi! We should have seen this coming! Bowser had a failsafe plan intact! Upon the five year anniversary of his death, his son, Bowser Junior, was to activate an elixir that would resurrect the previously extinct Koopas and send them on a rampage of destruction!"

Peach frowned. "We know Kamek used the elixir to resurrect an army of deceased Shy Guys, with the help of most of the Birdo species, and nearly destroyed Yoshi's Island, but we never expected Bowser to have the capability to replicate such a weapon."

Cranky scoffed. "That old dragon was as dumb as a sack of rocks! He couldn't have possibly recreated the elixir alone."

Finn scratched his chin. "Kamek must have helped him then."

Peach nodded. "Agreed, but we haven't been able to find out where Kamek has been hiding. Yoshi, Birdo, and the last of the Yoshisaurs managed to escape the island when he invaded, but Yoshi's Island is a barren wasteland now. Nothing left but the ashes and bones of a once great species."

Piper leaned against the wall and frowned. "We need to deal with Wario and Waluigi first. They're terrorizing the people of Guavia and the Mushroom Kingdom," she stopped for a moment before taking a deep breath, then continued, saying, "and they just murdered Finn's brother."

Peach turned to Finn and wrapped her arms tightly around him in a comforting manner. He continued to stare off into space and wonder what in the world was happening to the Kingdom as he heard endless thunderous banging against the doors and Cranky Kong babbling something about bananas. 

* * *

Note: Cranky Kong will break the 4th Wall occasionally, referencing TV shows, other chapters of this story, and even, sometimes, the audience.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Cranky led the group down a long corridor that was completely dark, save a few lit candles hanging from the walls. He grunted with every step he took and each step he took sounded as if there was a pain growing in him. Princess Peach guided Toadsworth and Toad down the hall and tried her best to keep the two from bickering, but they always found a way to irritate each other. The two of them had grown extremely hostile in the past two years and no one seemed to know why. Rosalina walked next to Jericho and answered all of his questions about her observatory in space, the Lumas, and just any space-related question he could think of.

Finn and Piper stayed relatively close to each other, but Finn kept his distance due to the growing pain of his brother's death. Piper twiddled her thumbs and played with her hair a bit the whole way through the corridor. Finn knew she had something to say, but she never once tried to speak what was on her mind. In the very back of the group, Donkey Kong slowly walked along, constantly checking behind them for any sign of trouble. Cranky eventually stopped at a wall and knocked with his staff a few times, then, twisting the candle holder that was on the wall, Cranky took a step back.

The wall moved backwards, then shifted to the left slowly. On the other side stood large stone columns with suits of armor standing facing the doorway. A large round table sat at the far end of the room. The walls near the table had security terminals that looked far too advanced for the Mushroom Kingdom, but it was obvious that the tech had been donated by Rosalina from her observatory.

Peach, Daisy and Rosalina made their way for the back end of the table and the each sat in chairs colored the same as their dresses. Donkey Kong sat in the seat across from Peach, Cranky sat at the chair across from Daisy, and Jericho sat across from Rosalina. Toadsworth and Toad sat at opposite ends of the table and made angry facial expressions at each other occasionally. Finn and Piper sat next to each other at the same end as Toadsworth and they looked at each other quietly. Piper smiled lightly at him and he met her smile with a small grin, but he quickly returned to his oblivious state.

Cranky groaned and frowned at Peach. "Have you been in contact with Yoshi since the Island was destroyed?"

Peach nodded. "I spoke to him a couple of days ago on one of the Starcoms provided by Rosalina. He seemed a bit frantic when speaking to me, but it didn't seem like anything was wrong at the time."

Finn quickly looked up and frowned. "Someone was telling him what to say."

Rosalina cocked her head. "How do you know this?"

Finn shrugged. "It should've been obvious. Was there anyone else around when he spoke to you?"

Peach shook her head. "No, no one was around. But I don't see what—."

Cranky nodded. "I agree with the boy, something doesn't seem right. Yoshi was normally slow-speaking with you, Princess Peach, especially after what happened at the battle."

Toad shook his head. "Nah, I don't think anything is wrong. Yoshi was probably busy with Birdo or one of their kids."

Finn frowned. "I still think something may have been wrong. The stories I heard a few years ago dictated Yoshi as a slow guy, that he didn't try to rush things."

Cranky smacked his staff against the table. "This endless wondering is pointless, I say we send someone to the Yoshisaurs' village on Lavalava Island."

Peach sighed and nodded. "Agreed, better to be safe than sorry. Who will embark on the journey there and back?"

General Kong snorted and beat his chest once with his right hand. "I will lead a small group there, Princess. We shall confirm the status of the village and report back immediately."

Toad raised his hands up. "I'll go with him, Yoshi doesn't know General Kong very well. He may not trust him."

Jericho stood and smiled. "As will I."

Finn looked at him and shook his head slowly. Jericho smiled. "I got your brother killed. The least I could do for you and the rest of the Kingdom is make sure one of our closest allies is still alive. It's time for me to be brave."

Peach looked at the three volunteers and nodded. "Very well. Please head out as soon as you can. There is a boat waiting down the corridor behind me to take you to Lavalava Island. Just tell the captain your destination and you will head out immediately."

Donkey Kong, Toad, and Jericho went down the corridor and left the room. From inside the room, the sounds of the boat's crew bickering could be heard, and Toad could also be heard shouting at them to calm down.

Cranky looked at Finn and nodded. "You are a smart young lad, I like you. Of course, I also like bananas, but that's beside the point!"

Finn looked at the table and back at Peach and sighed. "There were stories about what happened. About Mario…Bowser…Luigi…the battle. Are they true?"

Peach closed her eyes and you could hear a small whimper come from her. She sighed and fought back tears. "It's true. All of it. Bowser's defeat, Mario's death, Luigi's disappearance. It's all real."

Rosalina nodded. "My precious Lumas lit the skies on that fateful night…they would only back Peach's answer. I watched from my observatory before returning to Peach's castle shortly after Bowser fell into the crevice the first time. I was not there to see what happened to Mario. But Luigi, Toad, Yoshi—they saw it all."

Piper looked around the room. "Speaking of which, where is Luigi?"

Cranky groaned. "Seriously, did no one read the Prologue? Or were you not listening to Peach? Luigi has been missing for years. No one has seen him in so long, I doubt anyone would recognize him if they saw him. He did live in Mario's shadow, after all. He wasn't as well-known as Mario was."

Daisy frowned. "Now hold on, Cranky, Luigi was well-known. He did take down King Boo when Mario was kidnapped by him."

Cranky nodded. "That is true. Speaking of kings, King K. Rool was in the Kongo Jungle last month. I saw him snooping around in the trees. He seemed to be watching Dixie Kong very closely. He dropped some sort of purple liquid onto the ground below him, but I'm not entirely sure what it was. It wasn't bodily waste, I know that."

Daisy suddenly remembered something. "That reminds me, King Bob-Omb contacted me, and he is willing to agree to the terms of our treaty. He has also agreed to provide us with soldiers, should the need ever arise, and I am afraid that need will rise very soon."

Peach sighed. "That is wonderful news. We already have the Goombas as our allies, and now that King Bob-Omb is willing to provide assistance in hopes of peace, we should be able to get this done quickly."

A console began to beep violently and Rosalina stood and darted over to the noise. She pressed a button and a message from Professor Elvin Gadd appeared above the table.

The professor began to babble in unintelligible gibberish, which left Finn and Piper utterly puzzled at what was said. He held up a container with a small dead bug in it, poured in a purple liquid, and suddenly the bug came back to life. It shed all organic material and was left with nothing but an exoskeleton. The professor babbled a little more before ending his transmission, and Rosalina smiled and sat down at the table again.

"Elvin said that he has recovered a sample of Kamek's elixir from a sample that was left on the ground near the site of the battle where Mario was killed. He said it resurrects a deceased creature, erases all organic material, and leaves nothing but dry bones behind, making the enemies virtually unstoppable. He, rather uncreatively, calls it the 'Dry Bones' elixir." Rosalina said quickly.

Finn cocked his head. "Could the elixir affect a living creature?"

"Elvin says it won't harm any living creature, but if they are infected by the elixir while alive, and they die later on, they will be resurrected shortly after."

Cranky chuckled. "So it's like _The Walking Dead_? Ahhh, that makes sense."

Finn looked at Cranky and laughed a bit to himself. "So, what do we do now?"

Peach looked around the table and sighed. "We wait for word from General Kong and his group. It will be a few days, so everyone make yourselves at home. We'll be hiding out back here for a while. There are bedrooms down the same corridor the dock is, so just pick a room and head to bed when you feel the need."

Everyone at the table nodded and stood up, dispersing from the table and heading off to do whatever they wanted to do for the next few days.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Three days after Kong and his group were sent off to Lavalava Island, Finn sat in his temporary bedroom with a stone given to him by his mother, inscribed with an ancient prophetic saying.

It reads, Far from the reaches of their time, gone to the times of an ancient evil, a hero with an untold legacy will rise from ashes to fulfill their destiny.

Finn read the saying over and over in his mind, trying to pick apart the words and find their ultimate meaning. He always thought that whatever prophet came up with it was full of crap. It was unintelligible to him or anyone he let read it. He felt like it was just a bunch of words written on a stone to sound prophetic. He thought about the day his mother gave it to him.

She was a tall woman with long blonde hair. She knelt at his feet and handed the stone to him with great care, like a mother handing her newborn baby to the father. "This stone has been passed down in our family for generations," she whispered quietly, "Finn. You are the fifth generation to receive it. Keep it close. Keep it safe. And never forget these words."

Finn placed the stone back into his belt pouch and he fell back onto his bed. He scratched his left arm slowly and looked up at the ceiling in complete silence. He dozed off slowly for a few minutes, but he woke up shortly after, to the sound of his door opening slowly. The hinges creaked, obviously needing to be oiled. He sat up in bed and shook his head and found himself staring at Piper wearing a nightgown.

She had her arms crossed across her chest and her hair was wet. She had just gotten finished bathing in her own room when she decided to pay Finn a quick visit. She frowned and turned away when he sat up.

"I'm sorry Finn, I didn't realize you were asleep. I'll come back later, don't worry-."

Finn shook his head. "No, no, it is okay," he said quietly, while patting a spot next to him on the bed, "come on, and sit with me. I've been meaning to talk to you anyway."

Piper smiled softly and she tiptoed over to the bed and sat down next to him. She sighed and straightened her nightgown for a moment before looking back at Finn and smiling again.

Finn gave her a small grin and he took a deep breath. "I hope you know…I'm not angry with you about what happened to Zuvio."

Piper looked at the wall and shook her head. "I know, I know. It's just…I can't shake the feeling that something is wrong between us."

"Nothing's wrong, Pipe. Believe me, I'd tell you if there was."

She turned and look at her hands on her lap. Finn grabbed her hands and squeezed them reassuringly. Her hands were soft and smooth against his rough battered skin. Her face turned a slight red color, but Finn didn't notice the change.

She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. "Sometimes I wonder what life would be like if I had someone to spend it with…I…don't have anyone else. I lost my family when I was a little girl. There were…bombing runs that King Bob-Omb ordered back when he was the one trying to take over the Kingdom. I've been so lonely being all by myself, except for you and Jericho."

Finn hesitantly raised his arm and put it around her shoulders, hugging her slightly. He was nervous enough as it was, having to deal with his feelings for her AND the current situation. He felt the need to prevent any type of attachment. He felt like if he made any emotional attachments, he'd be making a big mistake. What if he or Piper were to get killed in action? Where would the surviving one go? What would they do?

Finn sighed and kissed her cheek lightly. "You're not alone, Pipe. You have me…and Jericho, of course."

Piper frowned. "I mean…I wish I had one person to spend the rest of my life with. I just want someone I can trust who cares about me. I'm sure you understand…"

Finn gulped. "I, uh, see what you mean Piper. And, to be honest, I-."

Suddenly, the computer terminal on the wall lit up and Peach appeared frantically. "Everyone, Toad has returned! Get to the docks immediately!"

The terminal darkened again and they looked at each other and nodded. As they walked out, both of them sighed heavily at the interruption and they proceeded out the door and to the dock.

* * *

Toad was lying at the end of the pier, bloody and barely clinging to life. Donkey Kong and Jericho were nowhere to be seen, however, the ship's captain, Captain Syrup, was standing on deck while fiddling with a gold coin. Peach was at the end of the dock holding up Toad and Rosalina was next to them, wrapping up Toad's wounds.

"I barely escaped with my life, Princess. King K. Rool has taken full of Lavalava Island with the help of the resurrected Koopas. Yoshi, Birdo and the Yoshisaurs are being held captive in large cages hanging from the trees. General Kong nearly freed Yoshi, but he was pounced on by one of the Dry Koopas. Jericho ran off into the jungle at the first sign of trouble, so I have no idea what happened to him."

Peach kissed Toad's forehead gently and smiled. "You were very brave for embarking on the journey Toad, and now we know exactly what is going on with Yoshi. We have to free them."

Finn shrugged. "How? Did Professor Gadd say anyway to stop the monsters?"

Cranky shook his head. "I don't believe Elvin made it clear on how exactly to stop the Dry ones."

Rosalina frowned. "We need to use stealth on this mission. If we can't take on the elixir-afflicted monsters, then we need to make sure we stick to a means of hiddenness."

Finn looked down at the pier and back up at Peach. "I'll go. I'll lead a small group with me to help free Yoshi, Birdo, the Yoshisaurs, and we'll find Jericho and Kong."

Toad frantically jumped up as if everything was fine and he waved his arms in a panic. "What?! You can't! It's too dangerous…uh, tell him, Princess!"

Peach frowned and looked at Finn. "As long as Finn doesn't go alone, I'm sure everything will be fine."

Finn nodded. "I just need a group of trained, experienced soldiers who can sneak up on King K. Rool, assassinate him if needed, and get me the key to the cages to free Yoshi."

Peach nodded and snapped her fingers. From inside the castle, four gorillas emerged with crossbows. Each of them were wearing black clothing to hunt in the night. One of them handed a crossbow to Finn and nodded.

"You might need this," he said quietly.

Toad turned quickly and shouted. "I should go with them, Princess!"

Peach cocked her head and chuckled. "I admire your bravery, Toad, but you are simply too injured to go with them."

Finn turned to Piper and smiled. "Hey, don't worry about Jericho or me. I'll find him and I'll be back safe and sound very soon. I promise."

Finn hugged her tightly and kissed her left cheek, then he turned and climbed onto the Sweet Stuff with the four gorilla soldiers. They all waved goodbye and Captain Syrup tore away from the dock and set course once again for Lavalava Island.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Captain Syrup slept soundly in her cabin with her clothes hanging on a rack next to her bed. She wore a silk magenta top with no pants, save a pair of black underwear. A gold coin sat on her bedside desk and it shined brightly from the moonlight that was creeping silently through the window. She turned over and shook her head slightly, then looked out the window. Staring at the moon, she whispered to herself and sighed quietly. Suddenly, there was a knock on her door.

She rolled her eyes, then said in a pleasantly sultry voice, "Who is it?"

Finn cleared his throat. "It's me."

"I'm going to need more information, Me," she said jokingly.

Finn sighed. "Finn. Your passenger."

Syrup rose from her bed and sauntered sexily over to the door and, with one pull, opened it wide. She stared into his eyes and smiled. "Come in."

She turned and walked over to her bedside desk and lit a lamp next to the bed, then sat down in a chair over at the window. He stared her down the entire time, admiring her curvaceous figure. She grabbed another chair and sat it beside her, then patted it invitingly. Finn gulped and walked over to her, then, upon sitting down next to her, he felt a barrage of cold chills go up and down his spine.

She picked up a bottle of rum and pulled the cork out, then took a small sip and tried to hand it to Finn. "I don't drink," was his response.

Syrup frowned. "Oh poo, I was hoping you had come by for a drink." She frowned sadly and placed the cork back into the drink before setting it down again.

Syrup crossed her legs and smiled. She clasped her hands together and placed them in her lap. "So. What did you want to see me about?"

Finn stuttered and looked down before speaking. "I was going to ask when you think we'll be getting to the island."

Syrup frowned. "It only took a day and a half for me to bring Kong and the others there. We've been out for almost a day, so still a fair amount of time left. You seem…nervous. Almost stressed out."

Finn shook his head. "Believe me, Captain, I'm fine."

Syrup stood up and grinned kindly. "Please…call me Syrup."

Finn looked up and nodded. "Syrup, I'm okay. Don't worry."

She cocked her head and frowned. "You're most certainly not fine," she said as she moved toward him and sat facing him on his lap, her legs draped over his. Finn couldn't help but occasionally look down at her breasts, but he tried to make eye contact constantly. He didn't want to seem like a pervert for looking at her that way.

She noticed him looking down at her chest and she smirked. "You're a very naughty man, Finn," she said before she pulled him out of his chair, "and I think you need to be taught a lesson."

He stepped back a bit and sighed. "I'm sorry for looking at you that way, Syrup. It's just…am I the only one? I'm sure the rest of your crew stares at you in the way I have been tonight."

She laughed aloud and nodded. "Believe it or not, every man on this ship—well, excluding the apes—has stepped into this cabin for more than just a talk of their cut or to strike up a conversation with me. If you understand my meaning," she said, looking at her bed as a hint.

Finn gulped. Syrup held his hands and smiled. "The crew says I'm a great stress reliever. They come to me with all of their problems. They explain what's wrong, and I help them as best as I can to relieve them of the stress. I only sleep with them if the situation really calls for it…well, to be honest, every situation calls for it," she said as she winked at him, "so…tell me what is bothering you."

Finn sighed. "Wario murdered my brother. He was trying to kill me, but Zuvio stepped in front of the blade...and...and was torn to pieces. Now I have to debate whether I should tell my best friend Piper how I feel about her. I don't know if she feels the same, and I just hate rejection. And I have to lead an expedition to find a lost old man and a general."

Syrup frowned. "You have so much on your plate. Your brother, your feelings, now the mission. You need a reminder that you have a life outside of your stresses. If you don't get that reminder, your life will be consumed and you will always be too focused on stress to ever live your life. I can help remind you. Oh and, uh…doctor's orders. No backing out since I've prescribed it to you now…"

Syrup shoved Finn back onto the bed, climbed on top of him, and grinned sexily. She unbuttoned his pants and tugged on them a bit to tease him. She then pulled her shirt off of her body and she stared down at Finn's wide eyes. He was staring even more now. She soon remembered that the door was still opened, and she sprung out of bed and slammed the door shut, then stared at Finn as she tore off her underwear and his clothes, and then, when both of them were not wearing any clothing, she threw herself onto him giddily.

* * *

Finn stood at the front of the ship and stared out over the vast ocean. He still couldn't believe what happened last night had happened. As he stared out, Captain Syrup sauntered over to him and she threw her arms around his neck. She kissed his cheeks and smiled after she did so.

"I'll be honest Mr. Finn, for a blacksmith, you're pretty good."

Finn chuckled. "I think I should take that as a compliment?"

Syrup giggled. "You're the best I've ever had, to be completely honest with you, Finn."

Finn smiled. "I don't know what I was so worried about."

Syrup smiled and, discreetly, she latched a golden coin, hanging by a golden chain, around his neck and it glowed a strange purple color. His eyes lit up for a second before going back to their normal color.

Syrup grinned and moved in front of him. He looked down at her and smiled. He was a few inches taller, but just enough to where her head fit perfectly under his chin. She grinned and giggled like a little kid.

"So Finn…I've been thinking. Would you…maybe…"

Finn smiled. "You love me now, don't you?"

Syrup nodded. "Something about you just attracts me. We got to know each other so well before you came by last night. So I was hoping you'd maybe want to be with me? Your friend Piper will understand, don't worry."

Finn frowned. "But…I love Piper."

Syrup sighed. "I didn't want to do this…" she said as her red eyes lit up brightly.

Finn's eyes turned a bright red and he shook his head quickly after the light dissipated. "Well, you are right. Piper will understand. I've just moved on, that's all."

Syrup giggled. "That's right, sweetheart. You've moved on…," she grinned, before whispering, "with a little persuasion, of course…"

One of the gorilla soldiers started to howl and he pointed at the horizon. "Land ho! Land ho!"

Syrup and Finn looked up at the incoming island and the two of them looked at each other and smiled as they went below deck to prepare for their expedition.


End file.
